NATO is not looking for deployment of Russian forces in Afghanistan: spokesman

The Spokesman of NATO's Civilian Representative in Afghanistan on Monday said that the military alliance is not looking for Russian force to be deployed in the post-Taliban Afghanistan, Xinhua reported.

"NATO is not looking for Russian forces to be deployed in Afghanistan; it is not that something the Russian government wishes to do and it is not something the government of Afghanistan has requested," Dominic Medley told reporters in a joint weekly press conference with Brigadier-General Josef Blotz spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) here.

Earlier section of media reported that Russian forces are expected to be deployed in Afghanistan to take part in training of Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF).

However, he said the upcoming meeting of NATO's Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen with Russian officials in Moscow will be a preparation for NATO member-states summit due on November 19 and 20 in Lisbon of Portugal.

"And there will be in essence be I think work between now and the Summit on, three areas in which we can deepen NATO-Russia cooperation," he empathized.

The first area will be on Afghanistan,he said, adding there will be work to see if we can enhance cooperation on training counter-narcotics officials, secondly, broadening the transit arrangements and third to see if we can see NATO secretary general 's proposal that Russia could provide helicopters and other supporting elements to ANSF.

"For Afghanistan one of major issues will be to agree the plan for 2011-2014 transition," he said, adding the subject will be discussed at the upcoming NATO summit.

The Key issue for this period is that the ANSF continue to take the lead for security responsibility across the country as outlined by Afghan President Hamid Karzai, he stated.

Briefing the journalists on operational updates the ISAF spokesman Blotz said that dozens of Taliban militants have been killed and detained over the past one week throughout Afghanistan.

"On Saturday, an operation in Darah-ye Pech district of eastern Kunar province resulted in at least 25 insurgents dead," the spokesman of over 140,000 forces added.

According to Blotz over 30 other militants were killed on the same day Saturday as coalition forces repelled an insurgent attack on a combat outpost in the Bermal district of Paktika province in eastern part of the war-torn country.